1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to catheter reprocessing systems and, more particularly, to an adaptor for reprocessing a rapid exchange-type catheter in an angioplasty catheter reprocessing system.
2. Description of the Related Art
Percutaneous transluminal angioplasty has become a common and popular method for treating arteries obstructed by plaque. The cost of the various types of catheters used in such procedures represents a significant portion of the overall cost of the procedure. It has therefore been proposed to reprocess and reuse catheters to help control the spiraling cost of the surgical procedure itself.
Manual reprocessing of catheters has provided one means for reprocessing and reusing catheters. However manual reprocessing is prone to human error and the sterility which is critical to a successful operation cannot always be guaranteed. Similarly, manual systems cannot guarantee the integrity of the catheter following reprocessing.
Commonly owned U.S. Pat. No. 4,721,123, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by this reference, overcomes many of the problems associated with manual reprocessing by providing an automated reprocessing system.
Commonly owned application No. 07/835,729, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by this reference, relates to another reprocessing and sterilizing system which represents a significant advance in the art by allowing re-sterilization of catheters in minutes and by enabling the use of a unique catheter sterilizing cassette that permits storage of sterilized catheters for periods of one week to one month without breaks in sterility. That catheter reprocessing system is designed for conventional over the wire-type catheters.
More particularly, over the wire-type catheters have a bifurcated proximal end with the balloon inflation port and the guidewire lumen port each having luer lock-type ends. The used catheter to be reprocessed is inserted into a reprocessing cassette, and the two luer lock ends are attached respectively to the reprocessing machine via a balloon inflation fill and drain valve and a guidewire lumen fill and drain valve of the cassette. Through a series of steps, the catheter's guidewire lumen and balloon and inflation lumen are flushed and sterilized with heated sterilant.
That reprocessing system is not, however, designed to accommodate the more recently developed and increasingly popular rapid exchange-type catheters. Indeed, in rapid exchange catheters, the guidewire lumen proximal port does not have a luer lock end. It is simply a hole in the side of the catheter body. Since it is not possible to couple the guidewire lumen of rapid exchange-type catheters in the cassette of the '729 application structure, it is not possible to actively flush the guidewire lumen with sterilant.